An Iraqi general said Sunday that security has been beefed up around the Ain Al-Asad air base, a sprawling complex in the western Anbar desert that hosts US forces, following a series of attacks.
Maj. Gen. Raad Mahmoud told The Associated Press that investigations were still underway to determine who was behind the unclaimed attacks on bases across Iraq, including one earlier this month in which five rockets landed inside Ain Al-Asad.
A US defense contractor was killed Friday in a rocket attack at a different Iraqi military compound near Kirkuk where US service members are based. Several American and Iraqi troops were also wounded.
US officials said the attack involved as many as 30 rockets. US officials have for the most part blamed Iran-backed fighters for these attacks.
Iraq has been roiled since Oct. 1 by anti-government protests that have left more than 450 people dead. The vast majority of those who died were demonstrators killed by security forces firing tear gas and live ammunition. The mass uprisings prompted the resignation of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi late last month.